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Recipe: Milk & Honey Bread
By estar | May 2, 2007
Most people are amazed when they hear I make my own bread. Making bread has earned itself such an intimidating reputation that few dare to try it. But it really isn’t that difficult. It just takes patience - LOTS of it. Each batch requires at least 3 hours from start to end, of which almost 2 hours are spent just waiting for the yeast to ferment the sugars in the dough. My favourite bread recipe at the moment is a milk-enriched loaf, sweetened with honey¦
Fresh ingredients are crucial in bread making, especially the yeast, which are the little buggers that cause the dough to rise and give bread its spongy texture. I use active dry yeast, widely available in packets at all supermarkets. Just be sure to check the expiry date.
Weather makes a difference too, and this is where some experience is helpful. While kneading the dough, it should feel soft but not sticky. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tsp of bread flour and continue kneading. Do not add more than 3 tbsp of extra flour. If the dough is too stiff and falls apart, add 1 tsp of milk and continue kneading. Do not add more than 3 tbsp of extra milk.
Milk & Honey Bread (makes one 2lb loaf)
1 1/4 cup milk (whole, skim or even soy) at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 tbsp melted butter/olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
Directions
1. Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl, ensuring the honey dissolves thoroughly.
2. Add the other ingredients and stir to form a ball of dough
3. Place the dough on a cool, flat surface and knead, pushing the dough outwards, and folding it back.
4. Knead until the dough is pliable but not sticky. This will take about 25min.
5. Cover dough with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 45min in a warm place. The dough should double in size.
6. Punch the dough down, cover and leave to rise another 30min.
7. Punch the dough down 1 final time and shape as desired. I placed the dough in a greased loaf tin. You can form little buns, or plait the dough instead. Leave to rise for 30min.
8. Preheat oven to 200°C and bake for 40min.
9. Remove the bread from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 45min. You can tell if the bread is done by tapping the underside. It should sound hollow.
One final note: Cooling the bread is very important! You MUST resist slicing a hot loaf, else the bread will end up with a gummy texture as you press it down to steady your knife.